AUTHOR’S NOTE
XYZ, the title?
This note is to enlighten readers who might be bothered about the title of the play. As each scene and character has symbol(s) and expresses one or two ideas, so does the title.
XYZ are letters of the English alphabet, but in the play, the three letters summarize an entire life.
To be more explanatory, the concept which each letter represents will be expressed blatantly.
‘X’ stands for the contacts that usually take place among us human beings. The physical contact of human beings with one another is precisely expressed and represented by the letter ‘X.’In as much as merely being born by human beings shows a contact with human being, nobody can escape what ‘X’ depicts/expresses.
‘Y’ stands for the questions caused by one person’s contact with another As a result of meeting someone, there are junctures of life at which one asks: “what to do? “where to go?” and why is something happening to one’.” All these questions are caused as a result of meeting someone whose contact must have been less advantageous to us.
However, we can also meet someone whose contact leads to another question, which is ‘who did I meet that enable my success?” Who alleviated my problem? In summary, the product of person to person contacts are questions.
To expatiate, ‘Y’ in a more realistic and typical way, like a Y junction is to a stanger, is the road of life to us strangers in the world.
‘Z, just as its shape looks, depicts perversion, inconsistency and myopia when it comes to being futuristic. ‘Z’ is a result of ‘Y’, the question caused by ‘X’. That is, perversion is the wrong action taken as a result of the confusion caused by one person’s contact with another. I hope with this note, the riddle of the title of the play has been resolved.
Besides XYZ, another title that befits this play is: “Hawking through the Path,” though critics might like to give it another that they might think is suitable to what is being read in the account.
Note on Characters
Characters in the play are double-layered. Double-layered in the sense that only one is
seen while (the) others are all abstract characters who are being read about. None is shown on the stage among the abstract characters, because this is to bring about a new innovation in literature just as technology bears children of different sorts, year in year out..
However, the play could also be presented on stage with multiple characters, depending
on the preferred style.
PROLOGUE
Hawking Through the Path
Hawking through the path
Through the path, through the path of life
On my head, balanced was the tray
Through the slippery muddy path without the sunray
My toe heads tossed in joyous groan.-’
Resting on piercing pebbles, my heels moaned
Against each other, my mu1tilingual lips maliced
Across simmering cold water, like cube iced.
Through the path, through the path of life
My frolicsome feet danced and slid Quagmire quite my feet sullied
My in-step complained, for the way was miled?
My soles and soul frowned and smiled For drab, jejune work, my soles did
Into my soles’ hearts penetrated stones like knife.
Through the path, through the path of life Life raced and on I lingered
Unlike an unsavory journalist, I could not be a stringer
For yonder his path at the junction, a foot would help
Resting perfectly at the back of the foot
Desperately, distinctly, danced my feet off the path
No ears for an hunter’s hoot
My soul was joyous, singing ‘flip-flop, song of the sole
Closed were my eyes with much joy assurance
Through the path, through the path of life
Journeying by being strapped, I became a nymph
The helping foot walked across waters and over mountains
It insulated me from ills
Across phlegmatic ocean, silent my sole was
Soon my feet were awaken; my soles, roasted in fire
The balloon of joy in the world’s lagoon got some holes
My soul and soles these questions asked
Where am I?
Where is my hawk tray?
What do I do now?
Through the path, through the path of life
Helping foot chuckled on hills and guffawed
On mountains so high
A laughter to my foolish headrest at the back of his foot.
Roaming the dreadful dangerous path
My loitering was lithely
With pessimism of mind and soul union
My sole asked the way.
Through the path, through the path of life
I walked on comfortable glass chips and nails
With brilliant smile of trust and love
Through the path, along the path of life
I met a helper, a ‘good one’
Through the path, along the path of life I asked for the way in my blurred vision
I lost the tray
I got a blurry vision, a blurry future,
A vague hope And lost in the fiery foggy forest, I roamed there in.
CHARACTER (CONCRETE CAST)
John — Harrison’s friend
CHARACTERS (Abstract Cast)
o Harrison
o Correspondent
o Director General
o Barrister Chiemeka Chukwudi
o Professor Hassan Danjuma
o NANS President